Defining Human
by Kirashound
Summary: Humanity is not the state of being Human, but the state of being possessed of a heart capable of love. Raki and Clare are reunited after seven hard years of being apart. But just how far has Raki gone in order to protect her, and what will the consiquences of his choice to turn his back on nature be? M for violence and possible later content
1. Scene 1: Reunion

Defining Human

Scene One: Reunion

"Well would you look at that?" his smile reflected off the drifts of snow the surrounded them on all sides to shine as brightly as the sun. "After seven long years, here we are. I finally found you Clare."

"Ra…ki?" Clare both looked and sounded dumbstruck as she tilted her head back to look up into his face, as he now towered head and shoulders above her. "Is that…really you?"

"Yeah, it's me. Not the shrimp I used to be, of course, that sort of thing happens." Much taller, much stronger and with longer hair, but the face, the tell tale scar, the awkward little gesture of him reaching up to place a hand on the back of his head as he laughed, a little nervously. She knew, it really was him. He'd aged, grown into a man, and his sword…he no longer carried the one that Galk had given him in Rabona years before. It was longer, thicker, and almost looked as if it had been rough-hewn out of glacial ice. "A lot has happened in the time we've been apart."

"Wait, you mean to tell me that you've been up here in the North this entire time?" she demanded, her silver eyes widening slightly as she remembered the disaster that was the Northern Campaign. The bitter cold. The utter desolace of the frozen tundra, with no one around for miles and miles. "How did you survive on your own, Raki?"

I didn't. I fell in with some…friends. A man and a woman rescued me from the slavers that I'd had the misfortune of being captured by, and took me to the Hunting Lodge where they lived with…I guess you could refer to them as a clan? They all but raised me; the man insisted that I call him 'Father'. He taught me to hunt, to survive in the wilds, to use a sword, to fight Yoma. He made me strong, and helped me to hone that strength. We became a family of sorts…none of them were glad to see me go, but none of them tried to stop me; they respected the fact that everything I had done up until then was for the sake of finding and protecting you."

"You were happy with them?"

"I'm happy with you," he cut in quickly. "I'm not going back, so don't start Clare." The silence that followed was filled only by the faint sounds of the thousands of snowflakes alighting on the earth's frozen surface. "So, what reason do you have for being up here?"

"I'm on my way to rendezvous with the rest of the Seven; we may have left the Organization behind, but fighting and killing Yoma is still what we do. Still our purpose," she informed him. "We're looking for the Awakened Being known as the Prince of the North." Out of the corner of one eye, she saw him wince. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Raki deflected her question quickly. "This Awakened Being that you're looking for…exactly how strong do you think it is?"

"At first we thought the strange aura belonged to Isley, but we soon realized that it was stronger and becoming even stronger still. Whatever the origins of this creature, even the power of the strongest of the Abyssal Ones seems to pale in comparison to it."

"Has it killed anyone yet?"

"No, so far it only seems to be mauling the local wild life."

"Then why are you after it? I thought Claymores didn't go after Yoma until they became a threat to Humans."

"That's the rule of the Organization, not any particular code of ours. Besides, it's far too close for comfort." The reply was cold. "They're all monsters, Raki. This one in particular could pose us an enormous threat; it's Yoki is unlike anything any of us have ever felt, and yet it has the ability to make it completely disappear! I'm willing to bet even Galatea wouldn't be able to sense its aura if it didn't want to be found. Why do you care so much anyway? If I didn't know better, I'd swear that you were concerned for-."

"_You!" _His eyes, for a split second, seemed to flash an unholy shade of glowing gold. "_I'm concerned for you, Clare! Concerned because I love you; after all of this time that ought to be rather obvious, even if you don't feel the same way!"_

He was right, of course, it was more than 'rather obvious', but the admission, in such blatantly honest terms, blindsided her to the point where anything she might have just seen fled her mind completely. "I'm sorry Raki, you're right. And…I do. Care, I mean." Closing the distance between them she embraced her old friend, throwing her arms around his now broad shoulders. "I missed you so much; you're all that I've thought about for these past seven years. Whether you were safe. Whether you were even still alive. These people that took you in…would it be possible that you could lead my back so I could thank them properly for what they've done?"

"Maybe later," laughing as he pulled back, she saw that the familiar lopsided smile had once more been pasted to his face. "How far from here are your friends?"

"A day or so of travel further North, in the mountains of Alphonse."

For a moment he looked in that direction without speaking. "The ruins of Pieta are about twenty minutes travel that way; if you're up here I assume that you fought in the Northern Campaign?"

Steadying herself from a daze of painful memories, she nodded. "I was. But how do you know of it?"

"I heard all about it from them. A horde of Awakened Beings…the entire town wiped out and all of the Claymores slain. How did you survive when no one else did?"

"Others did, seven of us in total. We allowed the Organization to think of us as dead."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because where they hunt for deserters, no one goes looking for the dead."

A pause. "A cold logic, but one that makes sense I suppose. The organization," his lip curled slightly and Clare could have sworn that his pupils were dilated to slits, but it was far too dark to be sure. "I learned a great deal about them as well, and every bit of it disgusts me! The deserve to suffer for everything they've done, to you and to others!" This was a side of her friend-no, if she were being completely honest with herself Clare would have to refer to Raki as her lover-that she hadn't seen before. "Let's get going. The temperatures out here are so harsh that it's getting to the point where even your Yoma blood can't regulate it. We should find shelter. And, sadly, where I don't have anything to cook with a do have some dried meat if you're hungry?"

"That would be nice, thank you Raki."

"My pleasure," again with the laughter that never failed to make her smile. They walked on through the snow for a while longer before the shapes of what had once been a town came into view, and a little while longer before they reached it. What remained of once thriving Pieta; many of the buildings destroyed, those that still stood in some semblance of upright crumbling away and in severe disrepair, but the blood-both Human and Yoma-had long since been washed away. Almost out of habit Clare did a quick scan for Yoki aura before following her companion into one of the more structurally sound buildings still possessed of something resembling a roof. She found him sitting in one corner, digging through his pack in search of something and muttering under his breath as he encountered different items. "Spices. Skinning knife. Water skin. Here it is!" With a triumphant expression, he pulled a small bundle of dried meat from the bag and unwrapped it. "Not the most delicious thing in the world, especially after having eaten nothing else for the past two months, but it'll do in a pinch."

"Food is food. What matters is the energy gained from it, not what it is."

"…You'd think only eating on the off occasion would make you want something good every time. I've been eating nothing but dried cow since I left them! I could really go for something much more…bloody." He raised an eyebrow when he looked over at him sharply. "What? Did I say something?"

"No,n-nothing!" Clare assured him shakily, turning back to her food. _Why am I suddenly so paranoid? This is RAKI we're talking about. He's a Human! So he can't be! It isn't possible! _A few minutes more passed where neither said anything, each too busy with their food until, finally, Raki stood up. "Where are you going?"

"Out for a walk. Maybe I can find a Rabbit or something; fresh meat would really hit the spot right about now and we're starting to run low on food. Besides, I think I may actually lose my mind if I'm doomed to an eternity of jerky. I'll be back in a little while."

_Sometimes he seems so different, and yet at other times he's the same as always._ Clare sighed. _Oh Raki, what am I going to do with you?_ For a long time after that, she didn't know exactly how long but she was aware somewhere in the very back of her mind that it was awhile, she sat there staring at the white flakes of snow spiraling down between the cracks and holes in the tattered roof above her until the scattering of snow and debris outside caught her attention. _He's back. _Getting up and leaving her claymore impaled in the dirt where she'd been sitting, she made her way out of the building. "Raki, did you-?" Realizing it wasn't him at all, but a sizeable pack of bandits, a second two late she pulled up short.

"Oh, what do we have here? A Silver eyed witch. But what is one of your kind doing way up here in an abandoned village?" A muttering of voices arose from behind him, the others sifting nervously and drawing their respective weapons. "Certainly a surprise, but whatever her reasons for being up here are we can't risk her telling anyone about us. Die you witch!" She'd fought Yoma for over half her life without faltering for even a moment in fear, but as the human Bandit's sword came flying towards her she froze, memories she'd tried so hard to forget or suppress rushing back to the surface. The smoke choking the air against the blinding orange flames. The man advancing towards her down a narrow alley, blood dripping from the infected stump where his arm had once been.

"Clare!" The sickening sound of steel tearing into flesh as he threw himself in between at the last moment.

"_**RAKI!"**_


	2. Scene 2: Golden Eyes

**Authors note: you may have noticed that one of the things I tend to be bad at is keeping in character; it may be ok now but it will likely get progressively worse as time goes on. Also, I may accidently use Clare and Clair interchangeably. If anyone sees it notify me and I'll do my best to fix it. All reviews appreciated but no flamers please.**

Scene 2: Golden Eyes

Tears blurred her vision for the first time in more years than Clare could remember as she stared up at him from where she'd fallen to the ground. His body curled forwards over the sword, the weapon's deadly blade jutting from between his shoulder blades in a grotesque display, blood dripping from it in rivulets to stain the snow at her feet. She stared at the puddle of blood, horrified and waiting for him to fall to his knees, fatally wounded as he surely was. Then, slowly, the color of the puddle at her feet began to register. Not red, nor any shade close to it at all. Purple. Raki's blood was purple. The blood of a Yoma.

"R-Raki?"

"Didn't I tell you back then that I'd do anything, pay any price, to become strong enough to protect you?" He straightened up, eyes glowing feral gold and lips pulled back over razor fangs in a snarl of half pain half anger, veins showed through his skin as his muscles bulged, causing his clothing to rip in places along some of the seams. He reached up with one clawed hand and pulled the bandit's weapon from his flesh with such deliberate care it was almost ghoulish; whether it was to avoid causing himself greater pain then necessary or to unsettle the attackers even more was unclear. It clattered against the wall of a nearby building before falling into the snow. Well, I'm strong enough now. If anyone ever touched you, _I'll tear them apart!"_ A growl, menacing and ragged, tore from deep in his muscular chest as he fixed the one who had attacked her in a predatory gaze; the man stumbled back in an attempt to get away, but Raki was too fast and within seconds red stained the snow along with violet even as the wound stitched itself closed. "When I said I wanted something bloody, I wasn't thinking Human was on the menu."

"A Yoma? With a Claymore? What's going on here?"

"I don't know, but we'd better get out of here! It killed him!"

"Get out of here? Why bother? It's pretty clear that monster can be pierced by a sword just as easily as one of us; if we all go at him we'll be able to take that thing!"

"Take me? Even if you all were to attack me at once it wouldn't do you any good. When your dead friend there got me with his blade I had my Yoki entirely sealed away; I was essentially Human. But now that I've released it, my skin is thick enough to turn the blade of a Claymore and the more Yoki I release the harder it becomes." His aura skyrocketed upwards quite suddenly, forcing down on her shoulders like a three ton weight as a trickle of blood began to run from one ear; when it stopped rising, it was somewhere around the level that Rigardo's had been. "I'd say that this is somewhere around notch five; I'm able to use all of my abilities, but only at their minimum potential. Still, it's more than enough to take on all but the highest ranking of single digit Claymore. I don't doubt even some of you are beginning to feel its effects?" More tearing of fabric as wings extended and a blade-studded reptilian tail wound around his ankles. "Every last one of you shall only have a few more short moments to regret the mistakes that you have made." The blade of the sword strapped to his back hissed like a serpent as it was draw from its sheath. "I'll allow you all a moment's time to prey to whatever God you may believe in; every last one of you won't make it out of these ruins alive!" His aura was so strong; slowly crushing her. It was hard to breathe. Her ears were ringing and tiny black dots began to burst before her eyes. Raki, the sweet innocent little boy who believed in the good side of everyone he met. Who had been forsaken by his own village after his entire family was murdered by a Yoma. Who had followed her around the country, been the first person to make her feel as if she mattered since the day that Theresa had been slaughtered before her eyes when she was little more than a child. And now he stood before her as the most powerful Yoma she'd ever had the misfortune of encountering. His roar split the arctic stillness and darkness overwhelmed her and everything went black.

"Did you feel that?" Looking up from sharpening her weapon, Miria nodded.

"Yes. The Prince of the North has finally decided to show himself again, and a display of power greater than anything we've seen from him since he first popped up on our radar." The great sword clanked as it was set down on the cavern floor. "What direction is it coming from? Do you know?"

"Pieta. It's coming from the ruins."

Her eyes narrowed, a slight frown showing on her face. Clare was supposed to be coming from that direction, and if that was where the raging beast was then she could quite possibly be in a great deal of danger if she wasn't already dead. Thank you, Tabitha. Inform the others that I'll be gone for a few days. I need to go and make sure that Clare is alright." As she walked out of the cave Tabitha couldn't help but stare after her leader worriedly; the Yoma known to them only as the Prince of the North was more than even Phantom Miria, former #6 of the Organization, could handle alone.

He'd reverted back to Human form and cleaned the blood off of himself using the surrounding snow by the time that she came to, sitting across the room from her and keeping his distance almost as if afraid that getting too close too quickly would frighten her. The bodies of the bandits lay scattered about outside; she could see them through the holes in the walls of the crumbling structure, torn to bloody ribbons in a vengeful overkill, but otherwise untouched.

"You're awake," his voice was quiet. Subdued. "Clare, I-."

"How long, Raki?"

"What-."

"_How long have you been one of them!?"_

For a long time he just stared at her without answering, then he sighed heavily, looking sad. "Just short of six years."

"How?"

"…It's a long story. But…I owe you an explination of some kind. I was going to tell you, I swear that I was, but…right after we first saw each other again hardly seemed like the best time. I wanted to give it awhile; to let you realize on your own that I really am me; that a Yoma didn't just take my form like it did my brother's. I certainly didn't want you to find out that way, but those bastard lowlifes left me with no choice; you just froze up all of a sudden." A pause where he seemed to collect his thoughts, deciding where to start. "What I told you about being captured by slavers and subsequently rescued was completely true, but I wasn't entirely truthful when I said I didn't know their names. The man was Isley and the woman…her name was Priscilla."

"The Silver King and the One Horned Demon? Raki-!"

"I didn't know what they were at first; didn't know that they were Yoma, let alone Awakened Beings. I thought they were Human, like me. They didn't treat me like food, or even like a pet. And they really seemed to care. Isley taught me to use a sword. Priscilla would always sit and watch me cook; she even fell asleep on me once or twice. They protected me, and I did my best for them in return. Then, one night, I saw them…eating. They didn't want me to know-the fact that they'd been hiding it from me for all those many months by that point made that fact very clear-and I didn't know what would happen to me where they to ever find out, so I snuck away and tried to act as normal as I could. Like I hadn't seen anything. Like I wasn't terrified that they'd turn around and eat me at any moment. That I didn't know that they and every one of the others were monsters. I watched them closely. Looking for signs that I could be in danger. None came. Isley seemed to genuinely care at least something for me, and that fact protected me from the others who didn't want to arise his ire. I kept thinking back to the promise that I had made to you. Of doing anything to survive and find you. Of becoming strong enough to defend you against anything and everything that you might face. But how could a Human ever hope to defend a Claymore? Slowly, my terror gave way to an idea."

"You got yourself turned into a Yoma just so that you could protect me? This goes against the laws of nature! Do you have any idea what you've done to yourself!?"

"I did what I had to for your sake. I was never concerned with myself."

"That much is self evident!"

"Don't be angry with me, Clare."

"Angry with you? Raki, you've ruined any chance you had of finding a Human life again! You're a damned fool!" She turned her back on him. A beat of silence, and then the soft sounds of his footsteps closing the distance between them and moving in front of her to meet her eyes; she tried to look away but he gently caught her face and trapped her there. _The bridge over the little creek, standing there with the man on one side and the woman on the other-both unfamiliar-as she stared at Theresa through sad eyes. "Live as a Human. Grow as a Human. Die a Human death. This is the greatest gift that I can give you." _Her words in response, that he unknowingly mirrored in that moment many years later. "I don't want a Human life. I want a life with you. But you said earlier that killing Yoma was your purpose as a Claymore; if what I've become makes it so that I can't have that life, then kill me Clare. Kill me because without you I'll have no reason to hold onto my Human mind, even if I no longer have my Humanity. Without you I really will become a monster."

A moment passed where neither moved, then her hands fisted in the torn fabric of his shirt and she pulled him down into a tight embrace. "Raki, if there is anything that you've taught me in all the time that we've been together it's that Humanity isn't the state of being Human, but being possessed of a heart capable of love. You may be a Yoma, but you're not a monster. And so long as you _never _prey on a Human, what you've become makes no difference to me. You'll always be the boy, the man, who followed me out of that little village demanding to know my name. The one I fell in love with." His arms, strong enough to uproot an entire building yet able to be incredibly gentle, wound around her waist as his head came to rest on her shoulder.

"You had me scared for a moment there," his breath was warm on the back of her neck, lips moving against her ear as he spoke; she could hear his voice as much as feel the vibration in his chest. "I'm glad that you can look passed this, even knowing the truth. That you're not the least bit mistrustful of me."

"Despite your evident power, throughout the time we've known each other you've proven time and time again that you could never do anything to hurt me. I've no reason to fear or mistrust you, Raki." She closed her eyes, inhaling his familiar scent through the blood that still misted his clothing. Back in the time that they had traveled together she'd been too confused by the tangle of feelings the thought of him evoked to even address it let alone pull it apart and properly evaluate its meaning. Only after they'd been separated and the bleakness of his absence had set in did she peel them apart and realize that she loved him. That she was still capable of love at all. She felt for him the same attachment she had felt for Theresa, only much stronger by many times. It was the need to see his smile and hear his laugh. The fluttering feeling of heat whenever he showed his honest care for her wellbeing, even over minor things like whether the meal he'd slaved over for hours was to her taste. The tingling that shot through her at even the most innocent of accidental touches by his large, calloused hands. And it was more than clear that he loved her too, just as much if not more. To have followed her for so long, despite what she was. To never give up hope while searching for her even after all of this time. To have given up everything to be able to protect her. For those prescious moments when she found herself encircled in the sanctuary of his arms she actually felt Human again. Clare was asleep before she realized it.

_She must have been really tired, _Raki thought as he gently lowered her onto the floor_, _expression soft as he took in her sleeping face. _Best to let her sleep. She certainly needs it more than I do._ Sitting down, he leaned against the wall with one knee pulled up to his chest and the other stretched out before him. _I'll keep watch for a while; nothing, Human or otherwise, will enter these ruins without me knowing about it. _


	3. Scene 3: the seven ghosts

**Any tips on keeping them in character as much as possible are welcome. So happy to have so many readers already:3**

Scene 3: The Seven Ghosts

The ruins of the once prospering town of Pieta were silent, seemingly abandoned but for the ghosts of the past when she arrived, the builds, half standing and in various stages of dereliction, were only crumbling yet more with the passage of time. The strange shapes in the night that may have been fallen debris or strewn bones, all covered by a thick layer of unmarred pure white snow. Then she saw the footprints; multiple pairs of Human footprints over lapping until they were a blur. The footsteps lead to a field of turned up snow, red blood and scattered bodies a few days old and all torn to ribbons by what could only be the talons of a very angry Yoma; blooming like a spring violet against the scarlet was a puddle of Yoma blood, which drew her attention immediately; the blood of the monster that had done this. Clare must surely have fought it for the creature to be injured, but if so where was she? And where was the Yoma? A faint Yoki, almost undetectable, registered just a split second before the hulking shape pounced on her with a cry; she reacted in time to deflect her attacker's blade with her own, but a combination of surprise and the slick terrain resulted in her giving a few paces of ground; demonstrating a remarkable degree of training with the blade, her assailent closed in without missing a beat; not a Yoma but a Human, tall and broad with narrowed hazel eyes and light brown hair falling down the his shoulders. He was armed with a bastard sword held easily in one hand, a surprise enough in and of itself without adding into account the fact that the blade was almost proportional to a fellow Claymore's Great Sword. The metal screeched and threw up sparks as his second strike descended on her from above, but this time she held fast against him. They stood there, almost face to face, staring into each other's eyes. Then, suddenly, the battle lust vanished from his eyes to give way to recognition and he disengaged.

"Miria?"

She'd never seen the man before, yet something about his face-perhaps the scar-took her back to the day that Clare had first fallen in with them. Of the boy that had followed after her, clutching a long sword almost awkwardly to his chest. "Could you be…Raki?"

Rising to full height from his battle ready stance and sheathing his sword, the young man nodded. "A bit older than you remember I'm sure, but yeah. I'm Raki. I apologize for attacking you out of nowhere like that, but Clare is asleep and after both that horde of bandits and that _enormous_ Yoma I can't afford to take the chance of asking first and attacking later."

"I understand; in situations like this, manners can have a tendency to get one killed." Miria said as she replaced her weapon as well. "You're exceptionally strong for a Human, and certainly seem to have gone through a growth spurt."

"Yeah, Clare almost didn't recognize me when we first met up with each other a few days back," he told her with a laugh. "That Yoma that showed up earlier…she called it the 'Prince of the North'. It tore those bandits apart like they were made of wet paper."

"We believe that the Prince of the North is an Abyssal One, though if so he's one currently unknown to the Organization and that means that his origins are entirely unknown. None of us have ever had the great misfortune of seeing him, but we have felt its aura from afar and it's more than safe to say that even the Silver King would find himself challenged fighting it. Are you meaning to say that the beast actually showed itself here?"

He nodded. "It was as tall as two men standing on each other's shoulders and its eyes glowed an unholy orange. It looked like a dragon, but stood on its hind legs. It's entire body was clad in scales as thick as stone and bristling with a crest of blades; the webbing of the wings was the only place that I could cut it; I snuck up while it was distracted by the bandits, but it flew off before I could do much of anything at all. Only good thing is it hasn't shown itself since."

"That could change at any moment. You only seem to have made it angry, and Yoma tend to be very vengeful creatures."

"I've learned that over the past years I've spent alone, I have the scars to prove it too, but the fact of the matter is that we had little choice but to remain here a few days in hopes the temperature would improve. It's gotten to the point where even some full blood Yoma risk exposure, and there's not much in way of new supplies lying around. What was left behind in that battle has either spoiled or been long taken away."

"Just how long have you been here?"

"Just circa three days; this blizzard just hasn't let up."

"And you've been keeping watch every night?"

"Yes."

"All night?"

"Yes."

"Have you slept at all?"

"I catch a few hours or two during that day; that's all I need. Besides, Clare has protected me for long enough. It's my turn now."

"Raki, where it is true that you are remarkably strong for a Human you're still _Human_. A Yoma a tenth the power of the Prince of the North could easily kill you, even without suffering from sleep deprivation. Don't be careless, lest Clare face losing you again."

" You speak to me as though I'm still a child," he grumbled, turning his back on her to face into the shadows of the building behind him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

Following his gaze, Miria found Clare standing just within the shadows nearby. "You didn't; I woke on my own. When you weren't there I became worried."

At this he smiled, and for the first time she began to get a small understanding of just what it was that Clare had seen in him; his smile reminded her of the warmth of the sun, something she hadn't felt in many years since coming to the North with the others. "I would never go far without telling you, Clare. I heard a noise and thought it might be more of those damnable bandits. Luckilly," he looked back over at Miria, who hadn't moved, "she's a quick draw, even for a Claymore."

"Even if you had managed to hit me the damage would have been minimal."

"I wouldn't be so quick to say that," Clare replied. "He's stronger than you know."

"Now don't go playing me up like that; if you do, I'll end up being used as the sparing dummy once we catch up with the others," Raki said with a laugh.

"You're just being modest."

"Believe me when I tell you that being used as a sparing dummy is the least of your worries. Needless to say it's been awhile since we've run into a man who doesn't have ripping us apart in mind, a few of us-Helen most notably-may attempt to spirit you away."

"As they say, it takes two to tango; doing so will get them nowhere, considering I have no intention of doing any such thing with anyone other than Clare."

Miria's eyes widened slightly in the face of this confession. "Don't tell me that Helen's words when we first started working together were true and he really _is_ your toy!"

Clare looked minorly offended on his behalf and had opened her mouth to speak, but Raki stepped in before she could and snickered "I wasn't her toy back then and I'm still not her toy now." Looking to Clare in amusement he added "you know, back when you told me that Claymores didn't understand 'love' I thought you were kidding, but seeing her immediate conclusion…"

"Raki, you know me well enough to be fully aware that it isn't often that I 'kid'."

"Yes," he grinned, "I'd say I know you better than just 'well enough'."

"It'll take about two days trek to reach the others from here. We should set out at dawn; there's no further reason to delay."

"Miria is right; the weather is only going to get worse at this point, so we should leave the moment that the sun rises." Clare agreed. "Everything is packed?"

"I didn't bring all of that much along, and unpacked even less of it."

"Then go and get some sleep; you may say that you don't need it, but I want you rested for tomorrow's travel."

"Yes, Ma'am." If it were possible, his grin grew bigger. "Join me?"

"You've been keeping watch for the past three days, and Miria has spent that time making the trek here; it's time that I took my turn."

Raki tried to pout, but the effect was ruined by an enormous yawn. "Have things your way, then," his eyes fell to half-mast as he turned to make his way into the building from which Clare had emerged. "I'll catch a few hours of sleep if you insist, but don't delay setting out on my account."

Once he was gone, Miria turned to meet her companion's silver eyes. "You're good for each other," she told her, and Clare nodded.

"More than you'll ever know."

Little had happened between the couple outside of chaste and almost unconscious touches over the course of their two day's travel together but it had still been enough to make their third part feel out of place and awkward, so it came as a great relief to Miria when they finally arrived back at the cave where the 7 had been hiding for almost a decade. Perched atop the cave as always, staring out over the slopping mountainside and snowy forest, was Tabitha; catching sight of them she leapt from her perch and streaked across the snow with her long braid flying behind her.

"You're back, thank God! Did you see it? The Prince of the North? Is Clare-oh my, who is this?" catching sight of Raki, she pulled up short in surprise.

"I'm Raki, Clare's-."

"Consort," both Tabitha and Raki turned to Miria in surprise, where if Clare was surprised she didn't show it. "Don't look at me like that, Raki. It's rather more than evident, both from what you've told me and how you react to each other, that you're far more than friends. There's no sense in complicating things by beating around the bush; be blunt and be done with."

"…" he continued to eye her in an almost timid manor for a moment longer, as if afraid she'd interviene again with no warning to make things even more awkward than they'd already become, before speaking again. "I've met Miria, Helen and Deneve, and Clare of course, but we haven't been introduced; and if there's seven of you, then that would mean there are two more that I haven't met as well. Mind if I ask your name?"

She smiled at him. "I'm Tabitha; you probably won't be seeing much of me unless there's a problem, as I'm normally up top keeping watch."

"A pleasure to meet you," he turned to Clare. "So, where are the others?"

"Oh! My! God! You're kidding, _right_!" Looking over at the sound of the voice, Raki saw her striding towards them through the snow with a look of marked interest on her face. "You wouldn't happen to be the little brat that used to follow Clare around, would you? Lucky?"

"Raki."

"Wow! I didn't really understand why she held onto you back then, or why she's been obsessed with you all these years, but now that I've seen you all grown up…" she turned to Clare, "you'll share him, right?"

"No." The answer was immediate, tone sharp and flat to such a degree that it was menacing; her silver eyes seemed to have taken on a harsh and almost angry glow. "Anyone else wouldn't be an issue, but not him."

"They're consorts, Helen." Tabitha pitched in.

"Oh, of course! Just perfect! Well, don't go expecting me to be the only one interested in him; he is, after all, the only man within a couple thousand miles who isn't a flesh eating monster." At this the pair exchanged a quick glance that none of the others seemed to catch. "And just when I thought things were going to get interesting, too!"

"Well there are still plenty of Yoma around if you ever find yourself mind-numbingly bored. Chopping limbs off tends to be at least a minor distraction." Raki pointed out off-handedly. "Well, let's got an say hello to the others; get the pitching match over with all at once." Clare followed right on his heels without waiting for the others.

"Well, she certainly wants to keep an eye on him." Tabitha said as the trio watched them go.

"Can't blame her; like I said, only male non-yoma."

The cave's opening was little more than a thin crack in the stone face of the mountain, but inside it was large enough to house quite a few more people than were present and still have room to stretch your legs, and was warmed by the heat of a small fire crackling in the center of the chamber; the entrance was a tight fit to say the least, at fault of how much he'd shot up and filled out, so after momentary struggle he managed to squeeze through. Three more Claymores sat around the fire, only one of whom he recognized.

"Clares back!" One of the two he didn't know said, drawing the attention of the other two who looked up. "And she brought us some company."

"Is he really the child that followed you around as your 'cook', Clare?" Deneve asked her as she sized him up in a manner that was almost threatening.

"It's seems like everyone is going to ask me that question," he said with a sigh. "Yes, I really am the 'kid' that used to travel with Clare. I really was her cook, not her toy. And my name is Raki, not Lucky. Helen already made that mistake."

"So this is Raki?" the first one to have seen them inquired as she peered up at him with curiousity written all over her face. "He's certainly very handsome."

"Um…thank you?"

"Maybe now that you're here, she'll stop muttering about finding you in her sleep."

"You talked about me in your sleep?" he half expected to see her blushing, but instead she met his eyes without even the slightest tinge of pink on her cheeks.

"I told you, I missed you."

"Sometimes how unabashed you can be is a little bit scary." He replied. "I hope that you said good things."

"Good things? More like calling out for you; moaning your name! Raki! Raki! Hahaha!" Of course that had been the moment that Helen had chosen to follow them into the cave; Clare's only response was to roll her eyes. "Well, what do you all think of old 47's consort?"

"Consort? So we can't…have fun with him then?"

"No, Yuma, though-believe me-I wish it wasn't true." Helen turned back to Clare with a mischevious grin on her face. "Now, don't go dangling your strapping prize in front of our noses; no having sex in the cave or anything. Not that watching isn't just as much of a turn on."

"Ack!" He squawked, turning bright red. A flicker of what might have been discomfort was beginning to show itself in Clare's eyes.

"Oh, that reminds me! Are either of you virgins?"

"_This whole conversation really needs to stop!"_

"He's certainly quite bashful," Deneve noted as the others laughed. "I guess that's confirmation on his part."

"I am as well, but I think that Raki is right; this conversation has gone quite far enough."

"Come and sit by the fire, you must be freezing." The one called Yuma beckoned them over and the two sat down by the fire together. "I'm Yuma, and that's Cynthia. You probably met Tabitha outside, and obviously know the others."

He nodded, reached out towards the fire in a sublte show of warming his hands; an act, though only Clare knew this, that once again drove home the truth of exactly what he was and the amount of problems it could cause if the truth remained hidden. But how could they tell them? "We met years ago, when I was around the age of 15. It was only for about a month after that that Clare and I remained together; we got separated after running into a psychotic Claymore by name of Ophelia. I made my way North, as she did, purely out of coincidence; once there I was captured by Slavers. I…escaped and fell in with some people who taught me to survive; to hunt, to make clothes, to use a sword. We all lived together in a small hunting lodge a few hundred miles further North beyond these mountains; I suppose you could refer to them as a clan, of sorts. They knew a lot about the Silver King, the Organization and its history, and of what happened in Pieta. I learned all that I could from them and did all I could to become stronger. None of them were exactly happy to see me go, but…they knew why I had to. What the entire purpose behind my actions for the past near decade had been. They raised me like a family. I owe them a great deal."

And you actually managed to find each other in this frozen tundra after seven years apart? It's like some cheesy love story." Helen snorted.

"I'm well aware of a Claymore's tendency to only eat once every other day or so, and only a small amount at a time, but I would still assume that you appreciate good cooking as much as the next person?" everyone's attention was once more riveted on Raki.

"He really is an exceptional cook," Clare offered.

"I see no reason not to allow him to," Miria said. "Something that he can do to help out."

"I saw some bird nests on the way up; I'll go and check them to see if there are any eggs." His feet scrapped against the stone floor as he rose. "We should be eating in about an hour."

"They certainly enjoyed that demonstration of your cooking skills; it isn't often even we as half-awakened Claymores eat that much."

Looking up from the rock on which he'd been sitting, he found Clare standing at the clearing's tree line and smiled. "Only the best for my love and her friends." His smile faltered slightly when she made no reaction, becoming sad. "What's wrong?"

"How long has it been since you've eaten, Raki?" she asked; he raised an eyebrow.

"20 minutes ago, about. You saw me cook, remember."

"That isn't what I meant. How long, Raki, has it been since you've eaten _like a Yoma._"

"…" he sighed. "Not since I left the others; about a month before I caught up with you. I've been too busy searching the tundra for you to eat before it was necessary; human food is enough to tide me over."

"That doesn't mean you should push yourself until you snap." Clare said sternly, but her voice softened almost immediately. "I can't even begin to imagine the amount of resolve and self-control it must take for you to resist the instinct to feed on Humans; the mental toll it must take on you…we can't afford mistakes. Can't let the other's know before they have to, and even when they must be told we'll have to find some way to break it to them in a way that they can except. Go and hunt."

He sat there for a moment longer before slowly rising to his feet and closing the few paces of distance between them; reaching up to rest a hand gently on the back of her neck, he leaned forward and kissed her. His mouth was soft and dry, gentle and reassuring. Their second kiss, but it felt entirely different with him in control of it. When he pulled back, his eyes were glowing yellow once again. "I'll be back later." Between one blink and the next he was gone, leaving Clare to stand alone in the darkened clearing.


	4. Scene 4: Shadows

**This is a short one I'm afraid.**

Scene 4: Shadows

"And just where have you been all this time?" Helen's loud voice dashed any hope he'd had of slipping unnoticed into the cave and going to sleep. "Darkness fell hours ago and we were all near to panicking; do you have any idea how many Yoma are skulking around out there just waiting for the perfect chance to turn your entrails into steak tartar? Miria almost had us beating down bushes to find you; the only thing that stopped her was that-."

"I knew where you were the whole time." Both looked over to see Clare sitting up beside the fire. "Stop yelling before you wake the others."

"Well, pardon me for being worried! Next time he goes missing I'll assume that you know to where; if you don't, don't go blaming me!"

"I think we both know who the top predator is," Raki's eyes didn't leave Clare's as he crossed the cave to sit beside her.

"Oh look, it's finally gone to his head! I hate to break it to you, 'oh mighty hunter', but you don't stand a chance against a Yoma on your own!" Helen flopped back down with a huff; seconds later she was asleep.

"Speaking of hunting, how did it go?"

"I had to improvise; theres not many animals around at this time of year, and most of those that are wouldn't be much more than a snack."

"Improvise?" Clare repeated, her expression settling into something half-way between confusion and concern. "What do you mean by 'improvise'?"

"Well…" for a moment he looked very uncomfortable. "How would you feel if I told you I'm a cannibal?" that was when she noticed the small smear of purple blood at the corner of his mouth.

"You have something on your face."

"I…" he reached up and quickly wiped it away, "didn't realize I'd missed a spot." He was silent after that, waiting tensely.

"What's wrong?"

"I suppose I'm just afraid that you have something else to say," he admitted. "Afraid that you would start thinking me a monster."

"All I think is that it's more than high time that their kind had a predator and not just a hunter; that they knew the fear of being made a meal of."

"But there's only one of me, and as the Humans that do remain here are few and far between I'll make little difference if any at all." A pause. "What exactly are you all doing up here anyway? Please don't take any offense at this, but you, Clare, don't strike me as one to run and hide instead of stand and fight."

"We aren't hiding and we most certainly aren't running," standing up with weapon in hand, Clare made for the opening of the cave. "Come with me." Though unsure of exactly what it was she had in mind, he followed after anyway and was lead back through the woods to a frost-rimmed waterfall. "We're up here to train; to become stronger. Strong enough to take them on; to stand against an army with only seven."

"Eight," he corrected as he observed his new surroundings with a critical and almost wary eye; a snow strewn rocky shore, the grey pebbles standing out against the white; a moss speckled cliff face of dark brown stone; a cloud of white, frigid haze thrown up by the hundreds of thousands of gallons of water pouring down from below with a roaring sound so loud it was almost deafening. "I'll stand by your side, Clare; always. I'll do all in my power to seek vengeance for every one of you."

"Vengeance…" she looked away from him, out over the water. "There's a story that I need to tell you, Raki. One that I haven't told to anyone, but that I should have let you in on a long time ago. The reason that I allowed you to follow me in the beginning…it was because you reminded me a great deal of myself."

"I did?" Clueless, weak and always on the brink of tears? Had Clare-beautiful, powerful and sometimes even terrifying-ever been like that? It just didn't compute. "I don't believe that for a moment."

"I was, it is true. My entire village was slaughtered by a group of Yoma, one of which took me prisoner. I was dragged around the country for months until, finally, we came to the village of Leo. There I was unwittingly rescued by the Organization's then #1 Claymore; Teresa of the Faint Smile."


End file.
